Victory Assembly of God Church target of hate crime

While much of the country was celebrating the capture of suspect 2 in the Boston Marathon bombings on Friday night, Apr. 19, a Sharon church was the unfortunate target of vandalism being deemed a hate crime.

While much of the country was celebrating the capture of suspect 2 in the Boston Marathon bombings on Friday night, Apr. 19, a Sharon church was the unfortunate target of vandalism being deemed a hate crime.

When Pastor Joe Green of the Victory Assembly of God Church arrived Saturday morning he found windows broken by rocks thrown through them, swastikas painted on doors, and a banner advertising the celebration of Jerusalem Day slashed to shreds.

Green, the director of outreach ministries for the church, had just put the banner up two days before and thinks the vandalism is related to the upcoming May 19 program.

“We’re not Jewish but it was for our Sharon friends (to say) congratulations on the 6-day war that liberated Jerusalem,” Green said.

Green is also president of the Rabbis and Ministers for Israel group while Rabbi John Hausman of Stoughton is the vice president. Green said Hausman showed up Saturday morning to help with the clean up.

“He drove over here and spent the day helping us,” Green said. “He said, ‘Reverend, welcome to my world.’ It put everything in perspective for us.”

According to Sharon police Lt. T. Kaufman, the case is under active investigation.

“The Sharon police department has just been so professional and so kind. They spent hours up here with us,” Green said.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in Boston condemned the vandalism of the church.

“We deplore this disturbing act of hate. After an emotional week in Boston it is with a sense of profound sadness that we learn that the Victory Assembly of God Church in Sharon became the target of anti-Semitic graffiti over the weekend,” ADL New England Regional Director and Eastern States Civil Rights counsel Robert Trestan said. “An attack on any place of worship is an assault on the entire community. As a community, we must stand together in solidarity against all forms of hate and bigotry.”

Green said the Jerusalem Day celebration is going forward on May 19 from 1-3 with guests Shai Bazak, consul general of Israel appointed by Benjamin Netanyahu, Pat Robertson of the 700 Club and Cathy Lanyar, executive director of Alyn Hospital in Jerusalem expected to attend.

“It will bring out the element that doesn’t like the Jewish/Christian connection,” Green said. “We feel no fear. We're committed to seeing the good in humanity.”

The crime is thought to have occurred sometime between 9 and 10 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 19. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Sharon police department at 781-784-1587.